Merlyn
by Terra1993
Summary: No young woman, no matter how great, can know her destiny. She cannot glimpse her part in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone, she must live and learn. And so it will be for the young witch arriving at the gates of Camelot. A girl that will, in time, father the legend. Her name: Merlyn. ArthurXfemMerlin(Merlyn)


Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin and its associated characters in any way, shape or form.

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Chapter 1- Dragon's Call

_No young woman, no matter how great, can know her destiny. She cannot glimpse her part in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone, she must live and learn. And so it will be for the young witch arriving at the gates of Camelot. A girl that will, in time, father the legend. Her name: Merlyn._

A young girl appeared over a hill, she smoothed down her hair as she continued on her journey towards Camelot. Passing through a forest, she nodded to another traveler before Camelot came into her view. She stopped at the gate as she took in the site of the castle. The girl made her way towards the square where a crowd was assembling. A man stood on a platform, surrounded by guards and an executioner.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass." Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot, dropped his hand and Thomas's head was cut cleanly and separated from his body as the chowed gasped.

"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin." Uther said as the girl started to walk away, but was stopped at the sound of a screeching cry from form the crowd. A women, clothed in black, hair grey with knots and wrinkles lining her face, emerged from the crowd.

"There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son." The woman said as she moved towards Uther.

"Seize her!" Uther yelled as the guards ran towards her.

The woman started chanting something and disappeared in a pillar of smoke and wind. The girl walked away from the scene and approached one of the guards.

"Where would I find Gaius, the- the court physician?" Merlyn asked the guard. "There" the guard said pointing towards a door at the end of the hall.

Merlyn walks up the step and knock on the open door to the physician's quarters and peeks inside. "Hello?" she said looking around. "Hello? Gaius?" she said as she walks into the room.

A noise came from the second story landing, there was Gaius, searching through the books. Merlyn cleared her throat, shocking the man, causing him to stumbled and crashed through the wooden railing. Merlyn's eyes started to glow and she slowed down time while using magic to move a bed from across the room and placing it under Gaius before he hits the floor.

"What did you just do?" Gaius asked as he got of the bed. "Tell Me!"

"I- I- I have no idea what happened" the girl lied.

"If anyone had seen that..." Gaius said.

"Er, no! That- that was, that was nothing to do with me. That- that was..." Merlyn said as Gaius looked around the room.

"I know what it was! I just want to know where you learned how to do it!" Gaius said. "Nowhere" Merlyn said.

"So how is it you know magic?" Gaius asked.

"I don't" Merlyn said as she started to panic.

"Where did you study?... Answer me!" Gaius yelling at her,

"I- I've never studied magic or, or been taught" Merlyn stuttered.

"Are you lying to me, girl?" Gaius said.

"What do you want me to say?" Merlyn asked him.

"The truth!" Gaius said.

"I was born like this!" Merlyn said.

"That's impossible! Who are you?" Gaius asked the girl.

"I have this letter" Merlyn said as she rummaged thought her bag, pulling the letter out and handed it to Gaius. "I- I don't have my glasses" Gaius said looking down at the letter.

"I'm Merlyn" She said.

"Hunith's daughter?" Gaius asked.

"Yes!" Merlyn said.

"But you're not meant to be here till Wednesday!" Gaius said.

"It is Wednesday" Merlyn said quietly.

"Ah, right then. You better put your bag in there" Gaius said pointing to the back room.

"You- you won't say anything about, erm..." Merlyn asked as she stopped by her door.

"No. Although, Merlyn, I should say thank you" Gaius said as the girl walked into her room.

As Merlyn settled herself into her new room, she looked out her window to see the beauty of Camelot at night, Gaius open the letter…

_My dear Gaius, I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her child is special, and yet I would give my life that Merlyn were not so. Ours is a small village and she is so clearly at odds with people here that, if she were to remain, I fear what would become of her. She needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help her find a purpose for her gifts. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her daughter, keep her safe, and may God save you both._

_*_Next morning_*_

"_Merlyn... Merlyn..."_

It was a voice thay woke Merlyn the next morning, a deep, rumbling voice that was faint. But when she opened her eyes, there was no one in her room. It definitely did not sound like Gaius. Merlyn sat up in bed, looking around the room. She ran her fingers thought her tangled hair as she got out of bed. She dressed in her trousers and tunic and mad her way into the main chambers.

"Good morning, my girl. I got you water. You didn't wash last night" Gaius said gesturing to a bucket on the table.

"Thank you" Merlyn said as she sat down at the table. "Help yourself to breakfast" Gaius said as he placed down some porridge in front of her.

As Gaius moved away from her, he knocks the bucket of water off the table. Merlyn shot up from her seat as the water froze in mid-air. Gaius gapes they looked at each other then back at the water and Merlyn let it drop to the floor.

"How did you do that? Did you incant a spell in your mind?" Gaius asked.

"I don't know any spells" Merlyn said.

"So what did you do? There must be something" Gaius asked.

"It just happens" Merlyn said as she grabs a mop and started to clean up the water.

"Well, we better keep you out of trouble. You can help me until I find some paid work for you. Here, Hollyhock and Feverfew for Lady Percival, and this is for Sir Olwin. He's as blind as a weevil, so warn him not to take it all at once" Gaius said placing a small sac and bottle on the table.

"Okay" Merlyn said looking at the sac.

"And here. Off you go. And Merlyn!, I need hardly tell you that the practice of any form of enchantments will get you killed" Gaius said handing her a plate with a sandwich on it. Merlyn smiles and takes the sandwich.

Merlyn eats her sandwich as she walks down the Physician's Corridor and through the Square to deliver the medicine.

She knocks on a door and squinting old man answers.

"Erm, I brought you your medicine" she said putting it into Sir Olwin's hands.

"Oh, and Gaius said don't drink it all at.." Merlyn said as Sir Olwin pops the cork on the bottle and drank the whole remedy

"I'm sure it's fine" She said as walked way.

Merlyn tied her long hair into a low ponytail as she crossed the drawbridge gate into the village. Just outside the gate, a group of men, dressed in armor, were laughing among themselves.

"Where's the target?" the blonde one said. The servant by the rack gestured to the shield by the way. "There sir?"

"It's into the sun?" the blond one said.

"But, it's not that bright" the servant replied.

"A bit like you, then?" The blonde said mocked as him and his friends stared to laugh.

"I'll put the target on the other end, shall I, Sir?" The servant boy said as her began to carry the target towards the other end of the wall where the sun was not shining.

"This'll teach him" the blonde one said to his friends as he throws a dagger at the target.

"Hey! Hang on!" The Servant said as he stopped moving.

"Don't stop!" the knight said as the servant started to move again.

"Here?" the servant asked as he moved back a few steps.

"I told you to keep moving!" the blonde knight said as he throws another dagger at the target.

"Come on! Run!" the knight said as the servant started to move faster as the knight continued to thrown daggers at him.

The poor servant stumbled to the ground and drops the target causing it to roll towards Merlyn. Merlyn puts her foot on it so the servant couldn't pick it up.

"Hey, come on, that's enough" Merlyn said to the knight.

"What?" The knight said looking at her. "You've had your fun. Now leave the boy alone, my friend" Merlyn said.

"Do I know you?" the knight asked as he walked over to her.

"I'm Merlyn" Merlyn said.

"So I don't know you" the knight said as he looked her up and down.

"No" Merlyn said as the servant got up off the ground.

"Yet you called me 'friend.'" The knight said to her.

"My mistake" Merlyn said.

"Yes, I think so" the knight said.

"Yeah. I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass" Merlyn said as she starts to walk away from the group of knights.

"Or I one who could be so stupid" the knight said snoring causing Merlyn to stop walking.

"Tell me, Merlyn, do you know how to walk on your knees?" the knight said as he walked up behind her.

"No" Merlyn said as she turned around and looked up at the knight.

"Would you like me to help you?" The knight asked.

"I wouldn't if I were you" Merlyn said as the knight started to chuckle.

"Why? What are you going to do to me?" the knight said. "You have no idea" Merlyn said.

"Be my guest! Come on! Come on! Come oooooon" the knight said as Merlyn took a swing at his face as the knight caught her arm and twisted it behind her back.

"I'll have you thrown in jail for that" the knight said holding her still.

"What, who do you think you are? The King?" Merlyn asked.

"No. I'm his son, Arthur" the prince said causing Merlyn's eyes to go wide as the guards escorted her towards the dungeons.

*The Next Morning*

"_Merlyn... Merlyn..._ _Merlyn.."_

Merlyn was awoken by a deep voice calling her name. She hears it coming from the floor beneath her.

"Merlyn!" Gaius said as the cell door opens and he walks in.

"You never cease to amaze me! The one thing that someone like you should do is keep your head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot" Gaius said.

"I'm sorry" Merlyn said looking down at the floor.

"You're lucky. I managed to pull a few strings to get you released" Gaius said.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! I won't forget this" Merlyn said exited to be out of the cell.

"Well, there is a small price to pay" Gaius said.

*Lower Town*

Merlyn was in the stocks, being pelted by rotten fruits and vegetables, thrown by the children.

"Thanks!" Merlyn said as Gaius walked passed her laughing as fruit continued to be thrown at her.

It soon stopped as the children's buckets ran empty. The children began to leave in search of more rotten fruit and vegetables as a women approached Merlyn.

"I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid" she said.

"I'm Merlyn. I would shake your hand, but I am a bit tied up at the moment" Merlyn said with a small laugh.

"I saw what you did. It was so brave. Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero." Gwen said.

"It was stupid" Merlyn said as the children returned with more fruit. "Oh, excuse me, Guinevere. My fans are waiting" she said as Gwen moved away from her as the children started thrown the rotten food at Merlyn again.

*end of the day*

The guards released her near the end of the day and escorted her to the physician's chambers. Gaius smiled as Merlyn walked into the room.

"There is a bath waiting for you in your room. Go get cleaned up, I'll keep your dinner warm" he said as Merlyn smiled as him and made her way into her room.

After her bath, Merlyn emerged from her room dressed in her jacked and trousers. Gaius handed her a bowl of food as she sat down at the table to eat.

"So, you're still mad at me" Merlyn said as she took a bit of her meat,

"Your mother asked me to look after you" Gaius said as he sat down across from her.

"Yes" Merlyn said looking down at her food.

"What did your mother say to you about your gifts?" Gaius asked.

"That I was special" Merlyn said with a smile on her face, thinking about her mother.

"You are special. The likes of which I have never seen before" Gaius said.

"What do you mean?" Merlyn asked looking at him.

"Well, magic requires incantations, spells. It takes years to study. What I saw you do was... elemental, instinctive" Gaius explained.

"What's the point if it can't be used?" Merlyn asked.

"That I do not know. You are a question that has never been posed before, Merlyn"  
Gaius said.

"Did you ever study magic?" Merlyn asked as she took another bit of her food.

"Uther banned all such work twenty years ago" Gaius said.

"Why?" Merlyn asked putting her fork down.

"People used magic for the wrong end at that time. It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons" Gaius explained.

"What? All of them?" Merlyn asked.

"There was one dragon he chose not to kill, kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle where no one can free it. Now, eat up. When you've finished, I need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice" Gaius said as he placed the preparation on the table and the two continued to eat.

After dinner, Merlyn walked up Spiral Stairway that is across from the Balcony Corridor and enters Lady Helen's guest chamber. She places the potion bottle on the vanity table. As she looks around the room she notices an effigy and a special book. Merlyn picks up the book. As she looked at the book she trailed the intricate pattern that was on the cover of the book with her fingers. Merlyn placed the book back down as a loud creak sounded behind her.

"What are you doing in here?" Lady Helen asked as she approached Merlyn.

"An... I- I was asked to deliver this" Merlyn said as she picked up the potion bottle from the table and hands it to Lady Helen and walks out the door.

*Lower town*

After Merlyn delivered the potion to Lady Helen, Gaius sent her to the village to explore and to learn her way around. Merlyn walks across the square and passes Arthur and his friends.

"How's your knee-walking coming along?" Arthur said as Merlyn continued to walk away from his group, not saying anything.

"Aw, don't run away!" Arthur said causing her to stop.

"From you?" Merlyn said not turning to look at him.

"Thank God. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb" Arthur said.

"Look, I've told you you're an ass. I just didn't realise you were a royal one. Oh, what are you going to do? Get your daddy's men to protect you?" Merlyn said as she turned to look at him and his men.

"I could take you apart with one blow" Arthur said laughing.

"Want to put that to the test?" Merlyn asked.

"Here you go" Arthur said as one of the knights handed him a mace, which Arthur throw towards her feet. Merlyn bent down to pick it up.

"Come on, then. I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth" Arthur said as he swung mace around in the air.

"Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?" Merlyn said as Arthur got closer to her.

"You can't address me like that" Arthur said with a smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry. H-How long have you been training to be a prat, _My Lord_?" Merlyn said sarcastically with a little bow.

"Come on then, Merlyn! Come on!" Arthur said as he started to swing his mace at Merlyn causing her to back into the market stalls as the crowd continues to gather around them. Gaius hears the commotion and looks out the Physician's Chambers' window to see Merlyn in trouble again. Merlyn made her way up a titled platform wagon, she jumped off and gapped a cloth hanging from the rafters to swing further away. She looked back to see that Arthur was still coming towards her and used her magic to make a box to fall in Arthur's way, causing him to hit his knee

"OW! Argh!" Arthur said as he moved the box out of his way and moved towards Merlyn. Sadly, Merlyn had got distracted and fell into a pile of hay and was cornered by Arthur. His guards came over and pick her up by the arms, ready to take her way.

"Wait. Let her go. She may be an idiot, but she is a brave one. There's something about you, Merlyn. I can't quite put my finger on it" Arthur said as his guards released Merlyn. She spotted Gaius walking away from the scene.

*Gaius' Chambers*

"How could you be so foolish?!" Gaius yelled as he and Merlyn walked into the room.

"He needed to be taught a lesson" Merlyn said as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good! Not for idiotic pranks!" Gaius said as he continued to yell at her.

"What is there to master? I could move objects like that before I could talk!" Merlyn yelled back.

"Then, by now, you should know how to control yourself!" Gaius said.

"I don't want to! If I can't use magic, what have I got?! I'm just a nobody, and I always will be. If I can't use magic, I might as well die" Merlyn yelled as she walked in to her room and laid on her bed.

Gaius enter her chambers with a medical bracket.

"Merlyn? Sit up. Take your shirt off" Gaius said as Merlyn removed her shirt to reveal her bindings and a bruises on her shoulder. She pulled her shirt to cover the front of her body and moved her back towards Gaius.

"You don't know why I was born like this, do you?" Merlyn asked.

"No" Gaius said as he started to tend to Merlyn's wound.

"I'm not a monster, am I?" Merlyn asked with a small tear running down her face.

"Don't ever think that" Gaius said as he whipped the tear away.

"Then why am I like this? Please, I need to know why" Merlyn asked.

"Maybe there's someone with more knowledge than me" Gaius said.

"If you can't tell me, no one can" Merlyn said as Gaius pours some potion into a tiny cup.

"Take this. It will help with the pain" Gaius said handing her the tiny cup, which she drank and put her shirt back on as Gaius leaves the room.

*Night*

Merlyn lies away in her bed as she heard the deep voice again

"_Merlyn... Merlyn..."_

Merlyn gets out a bed and walked passed a snoring Gaius. She walks across the square when she hears the deep voice again.

"_Merlyn..."_

Merlyn descends down the Wrought Iron Stairway that lead to the dungeons and used her magic to distract a pair of guards by rolling their dice away from them, causing them the chase after them. She grabs a torch and lights it, then heads down the Tunnel Stairway.

"_Merlyn... Merlyn.."_

"_Merlyn"_ the deep voice said as she entered the Dragon's cave.

"Where are you?" Merlyn said as she looked around the dark cave as the Great Dragon flies and lands in front of her.

"I'm here! How small you are for such a great destiny" the dragon said as he looked down at her. "Why? What do you mean? What destiny?" Merlyn asked.

"Your gift, Merlyn, was given to you for a reason" The dragon said.

"So there is a reason" Merlyn said.

"Arthur is the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion" the dragon said.

"Right" Merlyn said.

"But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike" The dragon said.

"I don't see what this has to do with me" Merlyn said.

"Everything. Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion" the dragon said.

"No. No, you've got this wrong. Arthur is a git who only cares about himself and his ego" Merlyn said

"There is no right or wrong, only what is and what isn't" the dragon said.

"But I'm serious! If anyone wants to go and kill him, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand" Merlyn said as the dragon started to laugh.

"None of us can choose our destiny, Merlyn, and none of us can escape it" the dragon said.

"No. No way. No. No. There must be another Arthur because this one's an idiot" Merlyn said shaking her head.

"Perhaps it's your destiny to change that" The dragon said as he flew off.

"Wait! Wait! Wait, stop! No, I- I need to know more!" Merlyn said yelling out to him.

*The next morning*

Gaius enters Merlyn's messy chamber and starts to pick up her clothes that were on the ground.

"Hoi! Have you seen the state of this room?!" Gaius yelled causing Merlyn to jump up.

"It just happens" Merlyn said with a yawn.

"By magic?" Gaius asked.

"Yeah" Merlyn said as she sat up.

"Yes. Well, you can clear it up without magic. And then I want you to get me some herbs: henbane, wormwood, and sorrel. And deliver this to Morgana. Poor girl's suffering from nightmares" Gaius said as he tossed some closed at Merlyn and walked out of the room. "Mmm, I know the feeling" Merlyn said as she got dressed.

*Morgana's Champers*

As Merlyn walks into Morgana's Chambers, she see a girl walks behind the changing screen

"You know, I've been thinking about Arthur. I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole. Pass me that dress, will you Gwen?" Morgana said.

"I'm not Gwen, but here's the dress" Merlyn said as she tossed the dress over the screen. "I'm Merlyn.

"So, you're the girl that Arthur had been complaining about. I have to say that you are very brave to stand up to him" Morgana said as she walked out from behind the screen.

"Merlyn, what are you doing here?" Gwen asked as she walked into the room.

"Gaius asked me to drop off a potion for Morgana's nightmares. I hope it works" Merlyn said as she hands the potion to Morgana. "Me too" Morgana said as she pulls on one of the long blue sleeve on her dress. "Please excuse me, I have some herbs I have to collect for Gaius" Merlyn said as she walks out the door.

*Banquet Hall*

Court members gather in the Banquet Hall as Gaius and Merlyn enter the room. Merlyn sees Arthur joking with his mates

"God have mercy" Merlyn heard Arthur say as Morgana walked to the room in her red dress.

"She looks great, doesn't she?" Gwen asked as she walked over to Merlyn.

"Yeah." Merlyn said as she stared at the dress.

Celebratory horns signal as King Uther entered the room and everyone finds their place at the tables.

"We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honour of introducing Lady Helen of Mora" King Uther said as the crowd began to applause.

Lady Helen steeped onto the stage and as she began to sing, everyone in the room started to fall asleep. Merlyn notices this and quickly pressed her hands over her ears as cobwebs begin forming over the enchanted sleepers. Merlyn see that Lady Helen was staring at Arthur as she walks forward, pulling a dagger from her sleeve. Merlyn used her magic to drop the chandelier on Lady Helen as she raises her arm to throw the dagger casing her to fall to the ground.

The Court members began to wake up and started to pull the cobwebs off. King Uther and Arthur stand up to see Mary Collins lying on the floor. Mary raises herself up enough to throw the dagger at Arthur. Merlyn used her magic to slow down time as she ran to reach Arthur and pulled him out of harm's way as the dagger slices into Arthur's chair as they fall to the floor.

"You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid" King Uther said as he and Arthur stared at Merlyn.

"Oh, well..." Merlyn said as she and Arthur stood up.

"Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded" King Uther said.

"No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness" Merlyn said.

"No, absolutely. This merits something quite special. You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's chambermaid" King Uther said as the Court applauds.

"Father!" Arthur said as he and Merlyn looked away from each other.

*Gaius' Chamber*

Gaius knock on Merlyn's chamber door and entered, carrying a book, to see her unbraiding her hair.

"Seems you're a hero" Gaius said.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Merlyn asked.

"No. I knew it from the moment I met you. When you saved my life, remember?" Gaius said.

"But...that was magic" Merlyn said.

"And now, it seems, we finally found a use for it" Gaius said with a nod.

"What do you mean?" Merlyn asked.

"I saw how you saved Arthur's life" Gaius said.

"Oh, no" Merlyn said shacking her head.

"Perhaps that's its purpose" Gaius said.

"My destiny" Merlyn said with a sigh.

"Indeed. This book was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling it will be of more use to you than it was to me" Gaius said handing her a book wrapped in a red cloth.

"But this is a book of magic" Merlyn said as she looked thought the book.

"Which is why you must keep it hidden" Gaius said.

"I will study every word" Merlyn said as a knock came for the Physician's door.

"Merlyn, Prince Arthur wants you right away" A guard said thought the door.

"Your destiny's calling. You'd better find out what he wants" Gaius said as the young witch placed the book back into Gaius' hands, and left for Arthur's chambers.


End file.
